James Schooley – Chairman
Area I live: Chatham, Kent.
Work Role: Civil Servant – Business Manager in Cabinet Office.
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: I love History (studied it at university). I’m also a pro wrestling fan; a Formula 1 fan; a collector of wrestling figures and diecast F1 car models; a film buff; a big kid for Disney and Universal theme parks; and a bit of an amateur weather watcher.
In other words, I’m a bit of a nerd.
I also love to travel and experience new places. I’m aiming to tick off all of the US states, and am on around 20 so far. A favourite trip so far was Japan in April 2019. Osaka, Kyoto, Mount Fuji, Hiroshima and Tokyo, all by Bullet Train in three weeks, and in Cherry Blossom season.
First Game Attended: 1-0 home win vs. Motherwell in pre-season friendly, July 1996. I was 7. I could maybe have started going earlier, but Dad never pushed me and my brother into it. He waited until we were running to meet him at the front door whenever he arrived home from a match, before saying to my mum “it’s probably time”, and used a pre-season friendly to test the water.
Most Memorable Game: Has to be the 1-0 home victory over Man Utd in the Carling Cup, doesn’t it? Roots Hall packed, under the lights, and a brilliantly determined performance against a star-studded United team. The playoff final victory over Wycombe runs it close, though! The drama….
For a left-field one – a 5-3 home victory over AFC Bournemouth in 1997/98, which gave misplaced hopes of a late escape from relegation to Division 3. I think we were 4-1 up at half-time!
Favourite Player(s) – Current: Gus Scott-Morriss.
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: Freddy Eastwood
Where I sit at Roots Hall: East Stand Block A. Formerly South Upper, RBS Family Enclosure (West Stand), and West Stand Block S.
Match Attendance History: Season ticket holder 1998/99–2006/07, 2010/11-2012/13, 2018/19-present. Gaps due to university, living abroad for a year, and then having a job that required Saturday working.
In terms of away games, I only tend to go to the ones that are close by these days, but I travelled away LOADS during the Tilly and Luggy days, including to Carlisle and Hartlepool, and have ticked off 58 EFL grounds.
An interesting fact about me is: I’m a bit ambidextrous. I am generally right-handed in everything that I do, but I use cutlery and play cue sports left-handed – weird with the cue sports, as I play all other accuracy sports (golf, darts, bowling) right-handed.
I played rugby to a good standard when younger, representing Essex and Eastern Counties up to U16s, and spending around 18 months in the Saracens youth set up.
Paul Yeomanson – Vice-Chairman, Membership Secretary
Area I live: Southend on Sea
Work Role: Managing Director of a local engineering company specialising in Instrumentation for Food & Drink Manufacturing / Oil & Gas Production & Refining / Petrochem Refining / Power Generation / Water & Waste Treatment.
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: Southend United, Reading, Modelling (of the plastic kit type – not posturing!), Motor Sport (watching), Music.
First Game Attended: Home v Plymouth (W3-1, 29/12/72).
Most Memorable Game: Home v Manchester United (W1-0, 07/12/06 – Carling Cup 4th rd).
Favourite Player(s) – Current: Gus Scott-Morriss, George Wind.
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: Andy Ansah, Chris Powell, Paul Sansome, Mark Gower, Dan Bentley, Ryan Leonard.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: South Upper.
Match Attendance History: All home games (work permitting) and as many away games that I can get to.
An interesting fact about me is: I once played the lead role in the musical Oklahoma whilst a member of an Amateur Dramatic Society.
Liam Ager
Area I live: Brighton & Hove
Work Role: Head Brewer
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: I’m a very simple man that can usually be found nursing a pint in a lovely old pub.
First Game Attended: v Ipswich in April 1996
Most Memorable Game: Torquay 1-4 Southend in November 2012. I have never seen a more controlled and comfortable win. We went into half time leading 3-0 and then a fourth in the 46th minute as if to say “don’t even bother trying to stage a comeback”
Favourite Player(s) – Current: Oli Coker.
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: Bilel Mohsni.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: West Stand.
Match Attendance History: I’ve spent most of the last fifteen years living outside of Essex so routinely attending games is difficult. I generally get to Roots Hall around ten times a season and try to do about half dozen away games, prioritising grounds I’ve not been to before. I’ve done 51 of the current 92 and seen Southend play at 39 of those. I’ve also ticked off 15 of the current National League (2024/25).
An interesting fact about me is: I was the first person to ever get tickets to a public event (Muse, for my sins) at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium when I won two of them on the radio.
Kelly Bolton
Area I live: Basildon.
Work Role: Admin Assistant.
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: Supporting SUFC, walking with and taking care of my puppy Milo, Theatre and spending time with family and friends.
First Game Attended: SUFC vs Chesterfield March 2016 (My son was a mascot and walked out onto the pitch with Ben Coker).
Most Memorable Game: Torquay vs SUFC – Cav Miley last seconds winner. What an atmosphere.
Favourite Player(s) – Current: Nathan Ralph.
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: John White.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: East Stand.
Match Attendance History: I attend as many home matches as possible. Have been on a few coach trips with the Shrimpers Trust, like Rochdale on my son’s 18th birthday, Torquay, Oldham (was called off half an hour before we arrived). Only local away games now due to puppy.
An interesting fact about me is: Was a Majorette in the early 1980’s and won a couple of awards including Majorette Of The Year. Then went on to a Marching Brass Band where I travelled around the country entering competitions – not playing an instrument but was part of the Colour Guard supporting the band by performing choreographed routines with flag spinning. Loved it.
Clare Campbell
Area I live: Southend on Sea (I can see the floodlights from my window!)
Work Role: Pubs and Property
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: Music obsessive, gig goer and mosh pit enthusiast even at my age. Football at all levels and Cricket in the summer. Dog walks
First Game Attended: Home v Gillingham (W1-0, 07/11/89).
Most Memorable Game: Huddersfield away FA Cup 1993 – my first ever away game and Sir Stan made it a party.
Favourite Player(s) – Current: Harry Taylor – first name on the team sheet.
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: King Kev and Tilly.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: West Stand.
Match Attendance History: Home and away since the early 90s – ran away coaches for a few years too. Ticked off 87 of the 92 and 2 to go in the National League in the coming season.
An interesting fact about me is: I was the founding secretary of the Southend United Independent Supporters Club in the late 90s which then became the Shrimpers Trust at a later date. I left when the independent was dropped in favour of a trust set up (I NEVER trusted Ronald) and have come back on board now with a goal of some sort of supporter ownership to ensure our clubs existence is protected for future generations.
Sam Duckworth
Area I live: Southend on Sea
Work Role:
Hobbies/Facts of Interest:
First Game Attended:
Most Memorable Game:
Favourite Player(s) – Current:
Favourite Player(s) – All Time:
Where I sit at Roots Hall:
Match Attendance History:
An interesting fact about me is:
Jon-Paul FitzGerald
Area I live: Stanway, Colchester
Work Role: Supply Chain & Procurement Manager (Insurance)
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: Football is my passion, its in the blood having been forced to “the Hall” from a young age by current Shrimpers Trust Chairman, Paul FitzGerald (or Paolo as I call him!) Any football on the TV I will watch, from Champions League to FA Trophy, even Scottish football … ok maybe not that far.
Keen follower of many other sports in particular American Football where I support the Las Vegas Raiders, a big franchise but with a lack of recent success – I know how to pick my sports teams! The great thing about the NFL is fantasy football if you haven’t played, it’s a different level to fantasy football as we know it! Not only do I love the Raiders but I love Las Vegas it’s a great place (just don’t take it seriously!).
Notable other sports of interest include F1, Golf, Rugby Union (Wasps) and Darts. Happy to give most sports a go but my interest is essentially from my sofa nowadays!
When it comes to going out, a trip down the pub is always a nice treat. My personal favourites include (The Three Wise Monkeys (Colchester), Princess Charlotte (Stanway) and Tap Room 19 (South Woodham Ferrers). I am an Real Ale fan and a member of CAMRA, so if you see me out an about (or in the Shrimpers Bar) mine is a Golden Ale/IPA – no lager thank you 
Happily married since our wedding back in 2016 on the beautiful Island of Cyprus and have since had our first daughter, Isla-Rose (1) who I hope to bring to Roots Hall soon. As a lot of the parents will know hobbies start to go out of the window with the birth of your children and I even considered adding Kids TV such as Baby Shark to my list of Hobbies!!
Social media addict as so many are and keen follower (and rare poster) of the “Zone”. Feel free to connect on Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter.
Twitter – @thefitz87
Shrimperzone – jphfitz
First Game Attended: Unknown – I was in the North Bank with my Walkman and stool!
Most Memorable Game: vs Manchester United / vs Chelsea (away) / vs Wycombe.
Favourite Player – Current:
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: Freddy Eastwood, Chris Powell, Simon Royce, Stan Collymore.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: South Upper.
Match Attendance History: Poor Recent Attendance but hasn’t everyone ? Will have my season ticket once again for the 22/23 season and hopefully witness our return to the football league.
An interesting fact about me is: I once sang at the Royal Albert Hall at the Proms.
Kay Fogg – Junior Blues Co-ordinator
Area I live: Thundersley
Work Role: Administrator at Williams & Donovan Estate Agents in Benfleet
I represented a group of Southend fans as part of team ShrimperZone on Eggheads in 2010. I got stuck with the round no-one wanted – Art and Literature – predictably, I lost my round against Barry! We got two members through to the final round but unfortunately, we lost!
Apart from football, I enjoy reading, cooking (big fan of Tom Kerridge and Tommy Banks), taking part in quizzes of all types, meeting up with friends socially and the odd glass of wine or beer (proper stuff!) or two, preferably over a decent meal – we try to go out to one really decent restaurant each year.
First Game Attended: I’ve no idea other than it was the 71/72 season though – I remember seeing both Bill Garner and Billy Best when I started coming along.
Most Memorable Game: Losing 1-0 at Derby in the 5th round of the FA Cup Valentine’s Day 1976 then taking it out on Brighton by beating them 4-0 3 days later – all the goals scored by Peter Silvester!; the 4-1 defeat at Southampton, the “Alan Ball” game; the 0-0 Liverpool FA Cup 3rd round match in snowy January 1979; Freddy’s 1st game, beating Swansea 4-2; beating the mighty Man U; the draw at Chelsea in the FA Cup, plus the League 2 Play Off final against Wycombe as well of course – Piggy’s 121st minute goal and then the penalty shoot out!
Favourite Player(s) – Current:
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: Favourite – Freddy Eastwood. Worthy mentions to Terry Nicholl, Stuart Parker, Adam Barrett, Mervyn Cawston, Alan McCormack, Kevin Maher, Ryan Leonard and Anthony Wordsworth.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: West stand, Block U, right level with the half way line.
Match Attendance History: I’m a Season Card Holder at Roots Hall, and we try to go to a couple of away games each season, but it’s quite difficult as hubby is a busy taxi driver. We try and have at least one away game where we do a “stop over”,
An interesting fact about me is: I used to take groups of children up to SM:tv on a regular basis and bake cakes for Ant and Dec which they mentioned on air! I was there with some children on my 40th birthday and the whole studio sang Happy Birthday to me, including the presenters!
I met my husband, Kevin, on a mutual friend’s status on Facebook, our first date was Millwall away in 2010, our 2nd was Colchester away a few weeks later!
My hubby’s cousins are the Charlton assistant manager, Johnnie Jackson and Joel Stoker, lead singer of the group The Rifles.
Michelle Gargate
Area I live: Southend on Sea
Work Role: Landlady
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: Landlady of the Blue Boar for the past 7 years, wife to Alan, mum to 2 year old son, Jesse and I have a fur baby called Max.
I have lived in and around Southend my whole life and can actually see the floodlights at Roots Hall from my garden. I love being part of the Southend United community and enjoy helping out where possible. I take pleasure in helping others and support many good causes.
First Game Attended: Southend v West Ham friendly (way back when I was in senior school).
Most Memorable Game: Most Memorable Game: Southend v Sunderland – mainly for the fans at both pubs before and after the game and that last minute goal from Stephen Humphrys. I have never heard Roots Hall roar so loud!
Favourite Player(s) – Current: Adam Crowther, Gus Scott-Morriss.
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: John White.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: West Stand, Block V.
Match Attendance History: Most home games for the past 9 years. You’ll always find me in The Blue Boar before the game and after!
I have always tried to attend a few away games each year, and hope to have my record year this season.
An interesting fact about me is: I have been a character in a stage show!
Paul Hill
Area I live: Southend on Sea
Work Role: Regional Manager for Show Racism The Red Card
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: I have been performing in bands for the last 29 years, sound engineer for all sorts of shows from gigs to theatre.
First Game Attended: Home vs Bristol City 1988
Most Memorable Game: Home vs Bristol City 2006
Favourite Player(s) – Current: Leon Parillon
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: Darryl Flahavan, Adam Barrett, Mike Lapper, Lars Unger, Freddy Eastwood
Where I sit at Roots Hall: South Upper
Match Attendance History: I have been a season ticket holder for many years, rarely missing a home match try and get to the away games as much as possible.
An interesting fact about me is: I had afternoon tea in the garden of No.10 with the Prime Minister and Shaka Hislop (Honorary President of the charity I work for). The food was alright, the garden could do with some new turf but the Pimms was spot on.
Chris Hunt – Treasurer
Area I live: Hockley
Work Role: Software Engineering Manager at Hudl.
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: Cricket is my other passion having held many committee positions across local clubs, leagues and organisations. I’ve travelled to West Indies, India, South Africa and Australia to watch England cricket and can’t wait to get back to Australia next winter for The Ashes.
I’m a bit a of a data geek, tech enthusiast and massive sports fan so working for the world’s biggest sports analytics company is pretty much my perfect job. I love bringing my professional skills to the voluntary roles I hold.
First Game Attended: First one I remember – 5th Dec 1986 – Northampton in FA Cup – 4-4.
Most Memorable Game: 23rd Jan 1993 – away at Huddersfield in FA Cup – 2-1 – STANLEY!!
Favourite Player(s): – Current: Nathan Ralph.
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: Danny O’Shea.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: West Stand, T91.
Match Attendance History: With dad in West terrace – 1986 to early 1990s.
North East Paddock – 1991-1992.
North Bank – rest of 90s – oh what a time to be alive!
West stand from 2000s on.
Roughly 45 away grounds.
An interesting fact about me is: I spent a summer working on a dairy farm in Australia while playing cricket there for the summer.
Gary Jackets
Area I live: Leigh on Sea
Work Role: Detective in Hertfordshire Police / owner of the Joker Comedy Club and Trail Toes UK
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: A lot of running and extreme sports. Owner of the 5th longest running comedy night in the UK (40 years next year).
First Game Attended: Southend V Preston.
Most Memorable Game: SUFC V Newport in the 70’s, 0-2 down with 15 minutes to go and won 4-2.
Favourite Player(s) – Current: Gus Scott-Morriss.
Favourite Player(s) – All-time: Ricky Otto, David Crown, Stan Collymore, Ronnie Wheelan.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: I have sat everywhere, but now either East Stand and occasionally the Directors Box.
Match Attendance History: Most home games and probably 30% of away games at the moment, but in the 90s I went to nearly every away game with a group of chaps and we would write articles for the Roots Hall Roar (I was the co-founder and sub editor) under the title Fat boys on Tour where we would review Little Chef Diners around the UK on our away days!
I also organised numerous coach trips to games such as Sheffield Wednesday and Everton.
An interesting fact about me is: Former Co-founder of SUFC’S first fanzine the ROOTS HALL ROAR.
Despite being an old bugger, I still represent the UK in Extreme ultra running events and this coming September I will attempt to become the first non-American to complete the 175 mile self sufficient ultra in the Nevada Desert.
Andrew Leeder – SUEPA (Southend United Ex Players Association) Organiser
Area I live: Swanage, Dorset
Work Role: Gardener
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: In July 2014 I had a life-changing event by making my main hobby, gardening, my job (for the 30 years before I was a pensions consultant). This has proved to be a great decision and has made me realise that you need to take definitive actions to make things happen otherwise life can all too easily pass you by.
In 2015 I totted up the number of grounds I had visited and hatched a plan with my son Jim to visit those left to achieve the holy grail for all football fans, namely visiting all (then) current 92 league grounds. I completed this in April 2016 with a party up at Blackpool and used that ambition to achieve another, namely to write a book. ‘Roots To The 92’ has since clocked up over 2,000 sales and I use it now to raise funds for various causes.
Marketing that book has changed completely my football-watching experience as I have met so many people through it and got involved in many new initiatives, one of which led me to joining the Shrimpers Trust Board in 2017. Whilst at Blackpool I met one of my footballing heroes, Derek Spence (who I had helped to chair off the pitch in our promotion-clinching win at Torquay in 1981) – we got on so well, and Derek agreed to write the Foreword to my book (I subsequently helped him to publish his own autobiography). I then arranged for Derek to come back to Roots Hall as a club guest which he did at the end of the 2016/17 season with his old strike-partner Keith Mercer. We got talking about old team-mates, one of whom. Alan Moody, I had recently learned had to go through a life-changing operation to save his life I then got in touch with the club about running a tribute campaign for Alan and in September 2017, working with the Shrimpers Trust we held a series of ‘Moody Blues’ events which resulted in over £11,500 being raised to help buy Alan a specially adapted car to meet his new needs.
We then arranged for Alan to return to Roots Hall, organised for many of his old team-mates and friends to be there, and the event went so well we thought it would be a good idea to do more and so in January 2018 The Shrimpers Trust formed SUEPA.
It has since gone from strength to strength and as of 1 May 2023 has 451 current ex-player/coaching staff members making it quite possibly the largest former players group in the world. SUEPA not only re-connects former players with each other, the club and the fans, but also does community work, raises money for charity, helps former players in need, and is a great way of engaging fans with the club’s past to create new memories.
Quite simply, SUEPA is a joy and a passion, and I have ambitions to take it further via the Professional Footballers Association and the setting up of a national forum.
I truly believe that SUEPA is a huge club asset and that it is something that the club should cherish.
First Game Attended: 26 March 1971 v Notts County.
Most Memorable Game: 8 May 2006 v Bristol City.
Favourite Player(s) – Current:
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: Dave Worthington.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: East Stand.
Match Attendance History: Living in Dorset for the last three years I now attend approx. 20 games a season (home and away), but before the held a season ticket for many seasons attending with my eldest son Jim. My first season ticket was back in 1977/78. I moved away from the Southend area in 1978, since then living in Chelmsford, Plymouth, Bristol, Colchester, Ipswich and now Swanage. Throughout that time I have regularly watched the Shrimpers home and away, my attendance fluctuating with the usual demands of work and family life as well as location. I suspect that, overall, by now I must have been to around 1,000 Southend United matches. My earliest memory is of the flared trousered pitch invasion by Southend and Aston Villa fans in the FA Cup tie back in November 1971.
An interesting fact about me is: I was the tallest Little Chef chef in 1979.
Mike Paterson
Area I live: Kent since 1995 but born/bred in Rayleigh.
Work Role: Worked in the City for 20+ years with major banks as a foreign currency trader. Now owner of MSPFX.
Hobbies/Facts of Interest: Huge music fan. Had ambitions of being a professional drummer and/or singer but was waylaid by a career in the City and its many financial temptations to a council house kid from Essex! Have spent time since managing bands/artists and promoting gigs/festivals.
Cricket fan and MCC member. Sadly not playing so much these days but still love the game and Lords remains my second spiritual home behind the Hallowed Hall.
First Game Attended: Home to Brentford.13 March 1965. Lost 0-1.
Most Memorable Game: Home to Liverpool FA Cup 1979, Play-off Final Wembley 2015. Home to Sunderland League 1 2019.
Favourite Player(s) – Current: Jack Bridge, Ollie Coker.
Favourite Player(s) – All Time: Billy Best, Alan Moody, Kevin Maher.
Where I sit at Roots Hall: East Green
Match Attendance History: My career in the City meant I was spending a lot of time abroad and so from the age of around 22 I wasn’t a such regular visitor to the Hall but the Club remained very much in my heart.
For the last 25 years I’ve attended all the home games bar a couple and as many away games as possible.
An interesting fact about me is: I volunteer with a wonderful music therapy charity near me called The Lewis Project that helps young people with mental health issues. I help raise much-needed funds and mentor as well as organising gigs for them to play which hugely increases their confidence and sense of purpose along with the weekly rehearsal sessions. Oh, and my paternal great great great great (I think!) Grandfather was James Turle who was Queen Victoria’s Keeper of Music and organist/choirmaster at Westminster Abbey for 50 years and has a stained glass window there in his honour.